Eric Deggans will be giving his keynote speech on how the media has had a major influence on this 2016 Presidential Election Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. in Showalter Auditorium.

When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, millions believed that America had, at long last, overcome its legacy of racism. But behind the celebrations, xenophobia and fear was alive and well, advanced by the very men and women we’re taught to trust and respect. Gone is the era of three-channel television, when every outlet fought to serve a wide spectrum of American viewers. Today, many pundits, bloggers and cable news anchors aim instead for a passionate niche of fans, exacerbating old prejudices and deep-rooted fears to lure viewers, readers or listeners and, in turn, advertising dollars. Media critic Eric Deggans experienced this phenomenon firsthand when he was called a “race-baiter” by Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly. Deggans is NPR’s first full-time TV critic, crafting stories and commentaries for the network’s shows, such as Morning Edition, Here & Now and All Things Considered, along with writing material for NPR.org and the website’s blogs.